


synthetic hanahaki flowers

by peachmaisie



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-07-29 03:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachmaisie/pseuds/peachmaisie
Summary: "You didn't...you don't have to keep doing this," Matt said after what was a few seconds of awkward fumbling over his own tongue. He ran the pad of his thumb across one of the small buttons detailing the front, chewing harshly on the inside of his lip as he desperately tried to word his feelings. "The gifts, the—the pity. I don't need it, Elektra.""I don't pity you," Elektra said without hesitation. Matt seemed to wobble like a collapsing building while she held strong, posture held high as she watched him let the pajamas fall to the bed in favor of sitting down himself.Did he truly believe that she didn't know about his struggles? Matt tried to be a tough read, he really did but he wasn't tough enough— or maybe Elektra was simply tougher and could see through his attempts at graciousness.





	synthetic hanahaki flowers

Matt had met plenty of distracting people in his life, ones who smelt too strong of cheap perfume and others with stomaches growling so loudly in hunger there was nothing he could do but listen in on their insides. New York had always been filled with people seemingly dedicated on infringing on Matt's concentration and Elektra was no different, except she was.  
  
Unlike everyone else, Elektra's distractions were something Matt craved. Her perfume was never too strong, always applied lightly to her pulse points so when he came and wiggled his nose against that sweet spot where her neck met her shoulder, bergamot and jasmine flooded his senses like silk across skin. Her stomach never growled because she ate the best food, rich in flavor and expensive in price and always a pleasant experience for Matt when he joined her in dining as he was used to living on noodles and Foggy's microwave meals.

He hadn't turned up to class in a week. It wasn't because he had grown tired of all the law jargon, the early mornings drowned in coffee or forgotten how much money he was putting into his future career— it was just difficult to think about anything else when Elektra was on his mind. Why bother sitting in class with his mind preoccupied with other things when he could go be with her, not searching for her heartbeat in a crowd of hundreds but instead perched right in front of him.  
  
Elektra was a giver, she always took Matt's needs and desires into account which was something Matt didn't even do for himself. She listened to his stories and actually seemed interested, that or he had stumbled across the best liar in history. The heart doesn't lie, however, and she could not hide the way her heartbeat would speed up when he changed in front of her, trying on the nice clothes she'd bought him.  
  
Matt was not used to being so looked after, the thought had occurred that maybe she was only doing these nice things because of pity but what was she getting out of that? Elektra didn't feel for a second to be the kind of person to do something she didn't want to do, she was stubborn in her choices and didn't allow space for people to question them. No matter how absurd it felt some days, Matt had to realize that Elektra enjoyed his company and in turn, craved how he wanted her.  
  
"You've got a sugar mama." Foggy had stated from the comfort of his bed one early Saturday morning. Matt had been getting ready leave for the day, his overnight bag packed and slung over his shoulder. The comment came as such a shock that Matt spun round to face in Foggy's direction, his cane smacking against his bedside drawer with a hard thump.  
  
"That makes me sound like a prostitute." Matt assumed that his face showed just how grossed out he was by the statement because Foggy laughed and sat up in bed, his sheets crinkling insufferably beneath him.  
  
"Plenty of people have a sugar parent, it's nothing to be ashamed about. Hell, I wish I had one." He said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Matt simply scoffed and turned back around, making sure to get the last word in before closing the door behind him.  
  
"Please don't say parent— you're making this weird."  
  
Few things in Matt's life weren't weird, he had an awful habit of finding something he loved then deciding he didn't deserve it. All the quote-unquote relationships he'd had before Elektra had ended because he distanced himself, made things uncomfortable because he would realize he had feelings of any kind and those were not good at all. When you're taught by a blind old man that having good things in your life is the worst thing you can do, that sort of thing sticks. (Pun unintended.)  
  
Part of Matt still didn't believe he deserved Elektra's attention or god forbid her love but it didn't stop him from making the trek across town to her apartment whenever she called. Despite the guilt and doubt fizzing in his stomach, being with her wasn't scary and he certainly didn't feel the need to run away. If anything, he wanted to run towards her, heart and soul and body all in no matter the consequences.  
  
He didn't bring up Foggy's comment for a few weeks, instead just let it fester inside his head which happened to be Matt's way of dealing with pretty much everything. It was easier to rot from the inside out than actually talk about his feelings, that didn't work for Elektra however.  
  
The pajamas had been the last straw. Matt was used to bringing his own when he stayed at Elektra's apartment but even then, it wasn't like clothes were a necessity. They were comfortable enough, slightly worn but soft enough against his skin to make it so he wasn't suffering constantly while wearing them. It had been a surprise, to say the least when Elektra waved her hand in the general direction of her bedroom and told him there was a gift waiting.  
  
Silk. He didn't need to see the price tag to know they were expensive. Sometimes Foggy would drag him shopping for the sake of getting out of their dorm and Matt would always find himself gravitating to the sheets, imagining the day he wasn't a broke college student and could actually sleep in comfort. Foggy always would hiss at what Matt imagined to be the price and gently tug him away, the silk slipping past his fingertips before puddling back on the display.  
  
As slowly as he unfolded the fabric did the guilt swell and bubble in his stomach, yet another kind offering thrown his way that Matt did not feel deserving of. He was used to gathering scraps and making shitty lemonade out of them, Elektra's kindness while well-intentioned nonetheless did not stop Matt from feeling embarrassed that she felt the need to constantly give.  
  
"Try them on?" Elektra appeared seemingly out of nowhere, she walked around where Matt was frozen like a statue before sitting down on the edge of the bed. Reading Matt's facial expressions was an interesting task, he switched through them so quickly that they blurred together into this generally confused look plastered across his face.  
  
"You didn't...you don't have to keep doing this," Matt said after what was a few seconds of awkward fumbling over his own tongue. He ran the pad of his thumb across one of the small buttons detailing the front, chewing harshly on the inside of his lip as he desperately tried to word his feelings. "The gifts, the—the pity. I don't need it, Elektra."  
  
"I don't pity you," Elektra said without hesitation. Matt seemed to wobble like a collapsing building while she held strong, posture held high as she watched him let the pajamas fall to the bed in favor of sitting down himself.

Did he truly believe that she didn't know about his struggles? Matt tried to be a tough read, he really did but he wasn't tough enough— or maybe Elektra was simply tougher and could see through his attempts at graciousness.

Elektra didn't sigh, she didn't feel irritated over Matt's inability to feel worthy of nice things, it would do no good for either of them. Instead, she stood up and walked around to where Matt had perched himself on the edge of the bed. After taking her time folding the pajamas back up neatly, she sat down beside Matt and noted the tightness of his jaw before allowing herself to speak.

"Matthew, is it really that hard to believe someone would want to see you looked after? Or rather, to do the looking after themselves?"  
  
Was it that difficult? For Matt, yes. It was nearly impossible, the idea that anyone would willingly chain themselves to him felt so completely farfetched that it made Elektra's attempts at kindness feel heavy. Everything was weighed down by his inability to get out of his own head, to feel rather than think or at least try and find some healthy mixture of both. He merely sighed and caught the gentle thumping of Elektra's heart.

"I can look after myself." Most days at least, but he wasn't going to admit to the days where he stayed in bed claiming sickness to Foggy because it was easier than saying he felt numb. Elektra's breath caught in her throat but she said nothing, not until after she had reached out and brushed Matt's hair away from his forehead.  
  
"What if I wanted to help?" Her fingers lingered across his temple, slowly following the structure of his face till arriving at his cheekbones. If he wasn't smiling then he looked sad, there was no in-between stage of contentment. Perhaps that was because he was sad, not always that present kind of sadness that tugs at your heartstrings but instead the kind that lays over it like a lazy cat, smothering you till you can't be sure your heart is beating at all.

Matt bit the inside of his lip, his jaw clenched tight not because of Elektra but because of his own annoyance at himself. Foggy's words played over in his head, surely plenty of people would kill to be where he was, with Elektra and her silk ways. Anyone else would have accepted her gift, put it on as she pleased only to then have her strip it from them minutes later; Matt wanted that but not as much as he wanted to feel free of his own burden.

"It's too much." Matt managed to say after stumbling over his words for a good ten seconds. "All of it. I just—I don't... I just want you. It's the only thing I want, everything else is just another distraction."

"A distraction how? Is this because you don't want my gifts or because you don't think you deserve them?" Elektra's voice managed to be so soft without trying, it wasn't soft in a biddable way necessarily, but familiar and warm but a bite underneath it Matt had grown to seek out. "You have me, these things are simply extensions. We aren't easy people to love, Matthew, I want to show you in ways we can both understand."

With that, Elektra brought her hand away from where she had been caressing the sharp edge of Matt's cheekbone and picked up the pajamas from where she'd laid them beside her.

"I want to look after you in whatever way I can, if you'll let me in." Matt took the pajamas from her when pressed against his hands. They felt like heaven, all cool and smooth against his fingers but the feeling didn't compare to Elektra's skin on his, to her fingers tracing his face like he was, in fact, something worth caring for.  
  
Becoming dependant terrified Matt to the core, it made him want to curl up in his bed and never get out again but Elektra sounded so sure, so earnest in her plea to let him be loved. It had worked, never had he felt quite so adored or important, interesting even than the moments he managed to peel himself out from his own head and be present with Elektra. She was no simple read either, she had her walls and Matt was eager to tear those down too, brick by brick even if it left him bloody and raw.

If loving him made her happy, then what else was there to do?  
  
Matt started to undo the buttons on his shirt and managed a smile at the happy rise in Elektra's heartbeat. Maybe he didn't only have to take from her, there were plenty gifts of his own he could give and he knew for a fact which ones she craved the most. There isn't only giving and taking, there's sharing too and Matt wanted nothing more than to share whatever parts of himself he could with Elektra. Maybe that would be okay. Maybe, that's what love is about.

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on tumblr at ["maggiemurdock"](http://maggiemurdock.tumblr.com/) and on [ ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/A8582C8W) !!


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